Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD)

Who Are People With Avoidant Personality Disorder?

As the name itself may suggest people with avoidant personality disorder are those individuals whose shyness and personal issues, as well as their extreme lack of self-confidence makes it impossible for them to lead normal lives in a human society. This condition was considered to be separate from schizoid and dependent personality disorders, bud ideas have changed, due to the fact that numerous unique distinctive behavioral patterns were found to be connected with people suffering from avoidant personality disorder. These people are often sad and depressed since they would enjoy having a rich social life. Yet, due to their inability to gain self-confidence necessary for establishing relationships, they are bound to stay confined and divided from other people, fearing rejection and humiliation. Personal issues of these people are quite prominent, since they look down on themselves and feel inferior to other people. They are incapable of accepting themselves as worthy of other people's attention. Individuals with avoidant personality disorder remain on the margins of the society.

How To Recognize a Person With Avoidant Personality Disorder?

These people, due to the above mentioned self-esteem issues, do not show their emotions since they fear being hurt. Thus, they are always tensed and nervous, trying to analyze other people's reactions towards them and getting easily hurt by any possible criticism. They direct their frustrations towards fantasy, through reading, watching TV, daydreaming etc. As far as their relationships are concerned, they analyze people and because of self doubt usually reject themand may consider them a potential cause of harm. People with Avoidant Personality Disorder may spend hours making themselves more attractive to others, or may simply do their best to look negative, keeping others at a distance this way. Deep inside, they do not want to create relationships with other people, since they always doubt them and due to their social expectations, easily getting disappointed by all the people they let in their lives. They might speak too much or hardly speak at all, depending on their motives. All in all, they never have close friends.

Therefore, a diagnosis is given once the patient; shows a lack of intimacy towards other people, avoids situations where there are a lot of people around and is nervous when in contact with others in general. Therefore, he/she is bound to have problems in school. There is a necessity of further testing and analysis, to find a possible treatment after diagnosis. The treatment may involve psychotherapy, group or family therapy, assertiveness training and medications.